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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bulb — for light
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. key — in music
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. key — the most important part
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. key — for a lock
  14. spring — a coil
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — to come down
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. chair — a leader
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — ground
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com